


Promises Let Up to the Sky

by Hello_Mr_Mustache (UltramarineMaizes)



Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Slice of Life, Underage Drinking, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2014-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-09 22:15:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1151415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltramarineMaizes/pseuds/Hello_Mr_Mustache
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Okita works at a convenience store. So does Hijikata. And Okita hates him.</p><p>Hijioki. Convenience store AU. Prequel to the Inbetweens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Seeking a source of income to support his growing gaming addition, Okita first starts working for the Eleven Seven at a tender age of fourteen. Hijikata already is working there too. Already an experienced worker at the convenience store, he does his duties perfectly to the book. He always arrives to his shift early, immaculately pulling on the neatly folded, always clean uniform in his locker. Besides his messy hair, which is pulled back into a ponytail, his appearance is impeccable without a speck of dirt or dust on white and orange polo shirt apron combo. At that point he was already Kondo’s right hand man in the store, this went without saying. And Okita hated him.

There wasn’t a particular reason as to why he hated Hijikata. He just hated him. Besides his closeness with Kondo, how he always manages to smooth over conflicts quickly and efficiently, how he was really patient teaching new workers how to do tasks in the store with his generally stoic personality...Everything about Hijikata irks Okita to no end. And given his age, Okita acts like a total little shit to him. This is on purpose too, of course, because in his eyes Hijikata did nothing to deserve his compliancy.

The situation worsened when Okita realizes, one day, that Hijikata also attends the same high school as he did. As he leisurely strolls to Geometry, he sees those sharp mean looking eyes and those V-shaped bangs of his rounding the corner. Okita feels his stomach flip-flop as he freezes in the hallway, receiving sounds of complaint the students around him trying to get to class. Then that asshole notices him. Or rather notices him and then pretends not to know him. Hijikata’s eyes flicker over his way and then quickly away, his face turning away as he slips into a classroom at the end of the hallway. Okita quickly shakes his head, to rid himself of the feeling of shock (any maybe insult???) and continued walking.

This only makes him hate Hijikata even more.

Okita walks into work the next day and finds Hijikata changing in the locker room. He quietly sets his stuff down and opens his locker. It jams, as it always does, and today he feels particularly frustrated so he ends up slamming his fist several times into the locker.

“Geez, at this rate you’ll destroy the thing,” Hijikata mumbles, pulling the polo over his head.

“Shut up, Hijikata,” Okita spits out.

“Don’t take your anger out on me, you little shit.” His voice is muffled.

Okita immediately whirls around, furiously, “And you don’t get me started on you! Why are you freaking everywhere, huh?”

An incredulous looking Hijikata pops his head out from the shirt collar, “Huh?!”

“Here! At school!” Okita gestures the air violently, “Literally everywhere! I can’t get a break from you!”

Hijikata scowls and steps closer to Okita, whose red eyes are flaring bright red in his anger, “Who died and made you the kind of the land”

Okita bites his lip, unconsciously which is a thing he does when he’s upset (and something Mitsuba, his older sister, would always comment as cute, but this really isn’t applicable right now in this situation okay), “Shut the fuck up. Get out of my space. Don’t you know I hate you?”

Hijikata glares at Okita for a few minutes and they have an intense staredown. Ultimately, Hijikata sighs and takes a step back, “I don’t have time for this. There are boxes that need unpacking.”

He calmly walks out of the locker room, leaving Okita fuming.

**  
  
**

 

They don’t talk for the rest of the week.

**  
  
**

 

The awkward silence after a fight is broken when Hijikata comes up to him and asks him to help with unloading. Okita, who’s still annoyed because when is he not annoyed with Hijikata, doesn’t say anything and only follows Hijikata after he leaves the room. Today the packages are of various assortments of Coke products. They lift the heavy boxes of beverages off the truck and handcart them to the back of the convenience store. Okita quickly moves the piles of boxes from the cart hastily to the ground while he runs back out to move more. Hijikata takes his time to carefully place each box down so that it is stable before heading back out. Okita has started opening boxes when Hijikata comes back with the last load.

“Hey you should be careful with those boxes...the way you piled them, it looks unsteady.”

Your face is unsteady, Okita thinks as he quietly cuts open boxes, not responding.

Hijikata grabs another box cutter and sits next to Okita, putting a box evenly in front of himself, cutting through the tape in one graceful motion.

Show off. Okita makes a face and scoots away, bringing his box with him. The piles around him quiver precariously.

“You still hate me, huh,” Hijikata says without looking up.

“Your observational prowess has never ceases to amaze me, Hijikata.”

He gets a snort in reply with a muttering of “little shit”. There is an awkward moment of silence, filled with the sounds of boxes being opened.

“Why do you hate me so much?” Hijikata asks quietly.

Why do you care, asshole. Okita grabs another box from the unstable pile. He grits his teeth, “I dunno. Maybe I just hate you. I can hate a person for no reason right?”

“But there has to be a reason,” Hijikata is now looking at him with his steely eyes, unwavering.

“Do you literally want me to go through the list of everything I hate about you?”

Hijikata sits silently, waiting.

Okita’s face heats up, “F-fine! I hate how you wear your stupid uniform, how you are so good with the new workers, how your bangs form a letter v which is literally my least favorite letter in the universe, your face, basically everything. I just hate you!”

Hijikata doesn’t reply immediately. Okita pauses in his box disassembly to look over at him. His face is unreadable, it isn’t really the expression he was expecting though he isn’t sure what kind of response he’s expecting to get when he tells someone he hates their guts.

Finally Hijikata opens his mouth, “Those are all really stupid reasons.”

And Okita is dumbfounded. How blunt.

“I mean I can’t do anything to change any of those in the first place, but also you’ve just shown me how you are nothing but a little shit,” Hijikata looks him straight.

Ouch. Okita breaks eye contact and looks down at his box. Why is it that when he flings razor sharp words at Hijikata, that he ends up getting hurt instead. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. What a fucking lie. He violently cuts open the box, with such force that he accidentally jabs his elbow into his tribute to the leaning tower of Piza, made out of boxes, next to him causing it to topple.

Okita’s eyes widen as his body freezes. He squeezes his eyes shut to brace for the impending pain that will follow from being crushed by carbonated sugar water.

But the pain never comes. The sky just darkens.

Wait, no. That’s not the sky.

Hijikata stands, crouched over him leaning against the remaining pile of bottles, wincing. Okita stares up wided eyed at him.

“Move,” Hijikata growls and Okita’s senses return to him as he quickly ducks out and away.

Hijikata jumps forward and the pile of coke products comes crashing down. A couple of bottles explode and the ground is covered in fizzy froth.

“That’s coming out of your paycheck,” Hijikata says after another moment of silence.

Okita doesn’t say anything but stares at the delta made of soda forming at his feet.

“Should have listened when I told you to fix your piles,” Hijikata says, flicking him in the forehead, “Common dumbass, lets clean it up.”

Okita silently follows along, not knowing what to say.

Because what can you say when after telling your arch nemesis saves you from a (pretty) pathetic death of being crushed by soda? Nothing, that’s right.

**  
  
  
  
**

The following weeks after the Coke Incident, as Okita dubs it in his head, are just as awkward as the days that followed the fight. Okita is stuck in between the need to thank Hijikata and also the need to talk to Hijikata in general. Because he would have to be nice to Hijikata. Ugh. Be thankful that Hijikata kind of saved him from some serious injury. Man, Okita’d rather jump off a bridge. So he just sits in the back organizing products and ignoring the guy. Which is okay because Hijikata does the same and he doesn’t say anything about it. Everytime he passes though, Okita feels the pang of guilt of not properly thanking Hijikata and to be frank, it’s getting annoying. Why did Mitsuba have to be so good at bringing him up with all the manners and bullshit. If she didn’t do all that, then he would have been able to realize his true little shit potential.

It helps though that things are winding down for the year. A convenience store stays the same all year round, but things still get busy around the holiday season. It keeps them busy so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to talk. Kondo comes into the store one day with a brilliant idea (this is sarcasm) of having a brilliant holiday party (more sarcasm). Kondo is all into the Eleven Seven family, employee bonding, friendship togetherness bullshit. He decides to hold a party at a nearby yakiniku joint on Christmas Eve. Okita really doesn’t want to go, but then Kondo comes up to invite him personally and he feels bad about refusing, and then in the end he promises he’d be there. Kondo’s charisma is going to turn Okita into a social butterfly. That was a joke, the butterfly part.

Okita finds himself at a loud and rambunctious Eleven Seven party with all his coworkers there. The new worker, Yamazaki, sits in the corner rambling about red bean buns after having a few beers next to Sanosuke who’s laughing loudly. Much to Okita’s chagrin, Hijikata is there, sitting next to a overly loud Kondo shouting something about butt hair. Okita chooses the spot in the room closest to the door, just in case if he wants to leave inconspicuously. Though, its pretty amusing to see everyone drunk. Except Hijikata’s not drunk. Everyone but Hijikata who can hold his liquor well. Damn him. That’s another thing to add to the list of reasons why he hates Hijikata. Except...if Okita was truly honest with himself, he’d say hate was too strong a word to use. Dislike immensely is closer to the truth.

Musical chairs is always a thing that happens at Eleven Seven parties because so and so wants to talk with someone else and somehow Hijikata ends up right to Okita. Okita grimaces.

“Next to the little shit,” Hijikata grumbles.

“The sentiment is mutual,” Okita says, taking a sip of his beer.

“Kid-”

“Don’t call me, kid. I am only a few years younger than you.”

“Have you ever had alcohol before?”

Okita puts his beer down, “Yea I mean, I’ve tried some with Mitsuba before. No big deal.”

His cheeks feel a little hot, but he still feels okay. Okita doesn’t like beer too much so he knows when to stop drinking.

“I’m just saying to take it easy. I saw you go through a can or two already.”

“Maybe you should take it easy with that mayonnaise. Because I saw you do the same,” Okita glares at him indignantly.

Hijikata says nothing, but takes his mayonnaise and squirts it into Okita’s glass of beer.

“Gross! I can’t drink this anymore! Waitress-Hey! Stop! That’s disgusting!” Okita tries to shove away Hijikata’s hands which are busying squeezing mayonnaise over his beef.

Hijikata smirks at him. What an asshole. Okita glares at him and then notices that Hijikata has mayo all over his own beef.

“Wow you are so gross, Hijikata,” he says evenly as he pushes his ruined beef onto Hijikata’s plate. “Are you obsessed with mayo?”

“Shut up, it makes everything taste delicious,” Hijikata picks up a piece of beef with too much mayo on it in Okita’s opinion and eats it.

“Oh you are going to make me sick,” Okita turns and fakes retching sounds.

“Mmm, delicious- Hey!”

Okita trades glasses with Hijikata and finishes his beer.

Hijikata quickly swallows his beef, “Stop drinking- You’re a minor!”

“So are you, you hypocrite,” Okita smirks at him.

Hijikata stares at him while picking up the mayo beer. Okita’s eyes widen as he drinks it.

“Oh I forgot there was mayo in this but...its pretty good.” Hijikata says after blinking a few times.

“That’s disgusting ohhhhh ewwwww!” Okita laughs and turns away. He can’t believe it, why is he laughing with Hijikata like they are old friends?

“Regular beer still tastes better,” Hijikata smiles.

Okita’s shoulders shake from laughter and Hijikata smiles as well.

The party is still in full roar around them with people laughing loudly and once in a while a muttering of red bean buns can be heard, but between the two of them it feels really peaceful for the first time. Okita turns around, finally composed and looks down at his plate. This is a good time to do it. So he can stop feeling guilty and get back to the glaring game just like the good old days of when he first started at the Eleven Seven.

“I’m only gonna say this once, so listen closely okay?”

Hijikata says nothing, chewing on his beef slowly.

“Thanks for that one time where...the cokes and you just jumped in the way...yea...I forgot to say thanks about that- so thanks,” Okita pokes at a glob of mayo on his plate with his chopsticks.

Hijikata chews for a bit longer before swallowing, “What? When was this?”

Okita turns a bit red and tries again, “You know that one time we were unpacking boxes and I almost got crushed by them! The coke! You docked my paycheck...”

“Hrm…”

Okay, now he’s being dumb on purpose, Okita turns to him, annoyed. Hijikata was smiling at him. Or smirking. That asshole.

“Was this one of the days you were being a little shit. I mean you always are, but one of those intense little shit days?”

Oh he’s definitely playing with him. Okita glares at him before muttering, “You called me out on it.”

Hijikata smiles and picks up another piece of beef, “I wouldn’t have sat by and watch you get hurt.”

Okita is surprised.

“Only because I don’t hate you,” Hijikata shoves another piece of beef into his mouth.

Okita doesn’t know what to say after this and resolves to fill the awkward silence by stuffing his face. Even that small bit of his heart, which is changing ever so slightly, doesn’t want to admit that he feels relieved to hear that.

**  
  
**

The party ends at around midnight and everyone starts to head back home. Kondo is really drunk and Hijikata ropes Okita into help him carry Kondo home. They arrive at Kondo’s condo (heh) and wait for Kondo to fish out his keys.

“T-thank you guys for brinGinG ME bACK,” Kondo slurs, “ You guys Are the BEST, did YOU KNOW?”

“Yes, we know Mr. Kondo,” Hijikata says, closing his eyes and hoping that the other residents were sleeping.

“I’m reALLY glad we HaD this BonDING ExperiencE, es-eSPECIALLY you and Sougo are GettiNG AlonG bETTER noW I’m So PROUD,” he opens the door.

“Yes, yes Mr. Kondo,” Okita helps him through the door.

“nO, it’s gooD I can mAKE the resT of the WAY,” Kondo drunkenly gives them a thumbs up, “you Two heaD Home OKay?”

Hijikata looks unconvinced and Okita speaks up, “Are you sure, Mr. Kondo?”

“Yea, yeA no PRobLEM, just go,” Kondo drunkenly ushers them out.

“Alright goodnight, Mr. Kondo,” Okita gives him a small smile.

Hijikata nods at him and Kondo flashes them a bright smile before closing the door.

They return to the elevator silently.

“Well...somehow we managed to convince Kondo we are friends,” Hijikata laughs lightly as he looks up at the floor indicator.

“Yea…” Okita says, looking up with him.

Hijikata wobbles next to him. Okita stares at him. What’s wrong with this guy?

“I’m a little dizzy. Shut up.”

Okita rolls his eyes. And he had the gall to tell him not to drink too much. Dumbass. The elevator arrives at the lobby with a jolt and Hijikata stumbles and falls onto Okita.

Hijikata’s body feels warm for the second that Okita is staring straight at his collarbones. But then he pushes him off and Hijikata regains his footing.

“Looks like I have to walk you home. Such a pain,” Okita complains loudly, if only to get on Hijikata’s nerves.

“Shut up, I’ll just call a cab,” He responds as he leans over, resting on Okita’s shoulders. What an asshole, he doesn’t even ask for permission, Okita thinks as he lets him.

Okita accompanies him while they wait for the cab. They don’t say anything. And after Hijikata stumbles into the cab, Okita starts to walk home himself.

He told Mitsuba not to stay up waiting for him.

The night is quiet and Okita feels fine for the first time in a while.

**  
  
**

Five months pass in a blink of an eye and Hijikata and Okita haven’t changed. Physically Okita may have grown an inch or two taller but it doesn’t make a difference when he stands next to Hijikata who towers over him. Their relationship hasn’t changed much either. They still goad each other at work. Okita glares at Hijikata and talks shit behind his back while Hijikata glares back and shouts at him. A passerby would say that their relationship has gotten louder and more vocal. However this might have been all for looks and appearances. If they both let down their guards enough via large amounts of alcohol, they’d probably admit to being acquaintances. Maybe.

June comes and Hijikata is asking to take off due to high school graduation. Kondo excitedly lets him, also taking it upon himself to invite everyone at the Eleven Seven to go and support Hijikata. And then they are definitely having another party afterwards. At this point Okita realizes that the guys at the Eleven Seven really like to party.

Okita would have bailed out of this party as well, because he’d rather run a 10k marathon than to go celebrate that bastard’s graduation, but Kondo once again comes up to him personally and guilt trips him into going. As much as he admires Kondo, this is getting tiresome.

On the day of the graduation, Okita sleeps through the entire commencement speech and everything only to be shaken awake by Kondo when Hijikata was walking down the aisle in his uniform. He stiffly grabs his diploma, poses for the camera, and exits stage right. Okita snickers at how stiffly he moves and makes a mental note to tease him about it later. Hijikata meets up with them later in the lobby, ears turning red from feeling embarrassed about everyone coming to celebrate his graduation. The Eleven Seven workers, following Okita’s starting yell of “CONGRATULATIONS HIJIKATA”, decides to be as obnoxious and embarrassing as possible in cheering for the new graduate, in the end Hijikata, red faced now, single-handedly pushed the entire group out. Okita followed along snickering, receiving occasional death glares from Hijikata. It feels pretty rewarding.

“So, Hijikata, how does it feel to be so old?” Okita sing-songs, back in that room at the yakiniku place.

“Shut the hell up,” Hijikata said, squirting mayo over his rice. “At least I’m not fresh bait.”

“Excuse you, I’m a sophomore now that the year is over,” Okita makes a face at the mayo.

“When you are that short, you’ll always look like fresh bait.”

Okita picks up a piece of beef from Hijikata’s plate and drops it in his beer.

“Hey!” Hijikata makes a sound that sounds like a dying car engine, “Oh that’s disgusting!!”

Triumphant, Okita smirks at him, “Like you are one to talk.”

It’s funny that this time, they choose to sit next to each other at the party by choice not by means of chance. The party is just as loud as last time; everyone is laughing and having a good time. Okita absentmindedly munches on the side dishes while Hijikata stuffs his face with mayo rice. Hijikata’s out of high school now. It’s kind of a relief because Okita doesn’t have to see him for eight extra hours of the day. There’s too much Hijikata in his life and he doesn’t want to see the face of someone he dislikes immensely so often. But there was one thing that was nagging him on the back of his mind-

“So what are you going to do now,” Okita quietly asks Hijikata, who is still stuffing his face.

“Wiff waht?” Hijikata asks with his rice bowl still up in his face.

“College? The future?”

Hijikata sits still for a second, thinking. He swallows and puts his bowl down.

“What are you- are you worried about me leaving?” Hijikata turns to look at him with an amused look.

Okita’s ears turn pink, “N-no! I’m just plotting when exactly I can take your place as second floor manager of the Eleven Seven!”

Hijikata blinks at him, “Yea...well that’s not gonna happen anytime soon because I’m staying in the area.”

“What?” Okita watches him pick up some beef and put it on his plate.

“I’m going to a local university and getting my bachelors there, so I’ll be staying.”

“Oh.” The alcohol must reacting quickly tonight because Okita feels relieved. Maybe he should stop drinking. Okita picks up his glass and takes another gulp. “Well maybe if you dropped off the planet, I can take your job. So I’m counting on that.”

Hijikata smiles at him, “You little shit.”

They spend the rest of the night eating and drinking. This was when Okita learns that Hijikata also played the same generic first person shooter he does and also when he realized that Hijikata was the really annoying user Mayosamurai (which really isn’t a big surprise now that he thinks about it) who always steals his kill shots. One would think for as many players there are that he would bump into a variety of annoying people, but not the same person over and over, however Mayosamurai keeps appearing. And now he realizes its Hijikata. That just makes him want to destroy him even more.

When the party starts winding down, and people start heading out, Okita finds himself alone with Hijikata. Kondo, who decided to tone down his drinking this time, decided to take Yamazaki home who had begun to rap about red bean buns. It was quite amusing but after a while it got repetitive since all he says is “anpan” to some imaginary beat in his mind.

It’s now just the two of them and it’s quiet. Okita willingly admits this time he drank a little too much and so has Hijikata, but they are just sitting there quietly.

“We should go, Hijikata,” Okita mumbles, standing up and wobbling a bit.

Hijikata grunts in response and stands up as well. But he has a bit of difficulty so Okita half heartedly holds out his arm. Hijikata takes it and they stumble out of the restaurant. Once again they wait on the quiet late night streets waiting for Hijikata’s cab.

“You should get a cab too,” Hijikata musters out.

Okita scoffs, “Don’t worry about me. I’m just down the road. Don’t use booze as an excuse to get mushy on me.”

Hijikata smirks lopsidedly and mutters “little shit”. His arm is warm over Okita’s shoulder. He sighs and leans his head on the arm he’s resting on Okita’s shoulder. If Okita’s mind wasn’t so fuzzy, he’d put a stop to this behavior at once. But for the moment, the pressure feels nice.

The cab comes and Hijikata clambers inside and Okita wanders home in the cool summer night.

 **  
**Ah, the full moon is so bright tonight.


	2. 2.

Before he knows it, a summer full of virtual war campaigns constantly fighting against Hijikata (even though they are now “friends” on the ps3 network), and cursing at Hijikata through text (because they added each other into their contacts after work one day after getting scolded by Kondo about screaming at each other about video game things that nobody else understands or cares about) has passed by in a blink of an eye.

Okita has started his sophomore year of highschool and strangely he feels alone. He can’t put a finger on it, because analyzing his feelings is weird and feelings in general are weird when they have nothing to do with the enjoyment of watching other people suffer. School seems less interesting because there is no steely eyed guy with a ponytail to glare at in the hallways.

Wait. Okita didn’t mean that.

Seeing Hijikata at work after his first day of school, is a bit of a relief. No, he’s just kidding. (He’s really not.) Okita slaps himself in the head. Hijikata notices and snickers at him. Pissed off, he immediately challenges him.

“Oh ok its on, Hijikata,” Okita says, glaring at him, “you and me after work one on one.”

Hijikata raises a brow while still smiling, “You still have that silly idea that you can beat me?”

Okita flicks him off. It’s so on.

Work passes by like a blur, and later on, in the midst of loud machine gun sound effects and music blasting in Hijikata’s apartment, Hijikata manages to kill him with a headshot and end the round.

“Aughh,” Okita covers his face and groans.

“You’re all talk,” Hijikata smirks triumphantly.

Okita wants to punch his face. But he doesn’t.

“This is all for your ego trip,” he says as he finally sits back up, “so when you finally lose, it’ll be more satisfying.”

“Whatever,” Hijikata gets up to walk to the kitchen, “you want anything?”

“A beer,” Okita says.

“You drink too much.” Sounds of the fridge door opening follow.

Hijikata comes back with beers for both of them and look down at Okita, who is sitting on the floor with his back against the couch.

“Round two?”

This is the start of their gamer nights.

  
  


Sophomore year passes without anything else changing. Okita spends a lot of time after work gaming with Hijikata. Their temperament at work seems more peaceful to the attentive eye. Kondo notices the change in their bickering and he smiles to himself.

Nothing changes in the Eleven Seven. Summer passes and Junior year starts for Okita.

Mitsuba gets sick in December. Okita doesn’t come to work that week. Hijikata immediately notices. But he carries on with his duties as steely-faced as ever. At the end of the week however, unable to stand by quietly any longer, he asks Kondo. Kondo pulls him into his office to tell him the news. He quietly excuses himself to go and visit the only place he knows Okita might be: his apartment.

After knocking on the door once, he doesn’t even know why he’s here and this is stupid and he should have just texted him his condolences and this would be less awkward, the sound of the door opening stops Hijikata in his tracks.

Okita stands in the doorway, blank faced as usual.

“Oh,” he monotones, “it’s you.”

Hijikata looks pissed, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Okita doesn’t say anything for a while. They stare at each other, the awkward silence between them building.

“It’s none of your business,” Okita says finally, looking down at the ground.

Of course its not any of Hijikata’s business. He doesn’t need to know. He doesn’t need to learn that Okita has spent almost every waking moment by his sister’s bedside. He doesn’t need to know that he hasn’t slept much. He doesn’t even need to know that the reason he found him at home was so he can get a change of clothes and a shower.

Hijikata seems to agree with that statement, because he doesn’t say anything, but his face is unreadable once again. Okita has never seen him with this expression before.

“Are...are you ok?”

Okita looks up at him. Hijikata can probably notice his eyes are a tiny bit bloodshot. “I’m fine. You should head back ho-”

Hijikata violently moves forward and traps Okita in the door frame. Okita’s eyes widen as his vision once again confronted by Hijikata’s collarbones at 500% scale. Woah, deja vu. (Is that a freckle right there?)

“Don’t lie to me,” he says as he wraps his arms around him.

What is this. What. Okita doesn’t move. It’s nice and warm, just like all the other times minus the inebriated factor. Okita doesn’t push him away but he doesn’t hug him back.

Hijikata lets go.

“Let me know when you are ready to come back.”

He turns around and walks off without looking back. Okita watches him leave.

  
  


One week afterwards, Mitsuba is released from the hospital. Her bout of pneumonia is over and Okita can breathe a sigh of relief. It is one day past Christmas when Mitsuba hands him her gift.

“Here, Sougo,” She smiles warmly, “I got this for you since you are growing up so quickly. You are going to graduate next year, I can’t believe it.”

The box is wrapped neatly and tied with a simple bow. When he opens it, its a platinum watch.

Okita swallows and looks at his sister softly, “I love it. Thank you.”

It must have costed her a lot. She must have worked so hard that she got sick. He looks at her with such gratefulness that he’s pretty sure he teared up. But its okay to cry in front of his sister. She’s the only one he allows to see his tears.

Mitsuba smiles and dabs at his eyes, “Keep making me proud.”

The new year starts and Okita has a shiny new platinum wristwatch to add to his daily wardrobe.

  
  
  
  


Okita returns to the Eleven Seven shortly after the holidays pass. He and Hijikata slip back into their usual routine almost immediately as if nothing ever happened. Okita likes it this way though. Nothing complicated or anything, things just move on smoothly.

Summer arrives and passes by again and Hijikata cuts his hair. Okita tells him its about damn time his hair was seriously starting to make him look like a wild pig. Hijikata tells him to shut the fuck up. His hair is messier than ever now with strands sticking up everywhere. Okita is remorseful that he can’t tug on Hijikata’s ponytail anymore. All the times when he lightly pulls on it and Hijikata swears and starts yammering weird nonsensical words gave him endless amusement. However those will not happen anymore seeing as the asshole cut it off. R.I.P Hijikata’s ponytail. Okita liked it more than he did Hijikata.

Senior year starts.

Senior year is actually quite a pain. Because Okita has to work less hours due to college applications and whatnot. In addition the Eleven Seven is moving to a location closer to downtown because the location where they are currently located at is getting closed down for remodelling. There also are rumors flying around that Kondo is getting promoted to branch head and will be heading off. Near the end of the year, Kondo and Hijikata have a bunch of one-on-one meetings to talk about things. When they finished, Okita would look over at Hijikata, and he’d break eye contact. During one of their gaming meetups, after killing an alien, Okita finally asked him what was up.

“Kondo asked me to be the new store manager.”

What. Okita looks over, “Does that mean the rumors of his promotion are true?”

Hijikata glances at him and nods.

Okita sighs and leans back on the couch. Hijikata watches him. Okita looks at him with his dull red eyes.

“I guess….this is time for you to die, Hijikata,” he says straight-faced.

Hijikata sputters, “W-what???!”

“Because I don’t want to address you formally,” Okita says.

“Well why do I have to die for that? Why don’t YOU die?!”

And while Hijikata is in a sputtering mess, Okita shoots and kills his avatar in the game. Score.

  
  


These rumors prove to be true as Kondo asked all the workers at Eleven Seven to stay after closing one Thursday to have a group meeting.

“Thanks for stay a bit, guys, even though I know you are all very tired,” Kondo starts off, grinning sheepishly, “I have an announcement to make and I’d like to tell you all personally since we are family here.”

Everyone shuffles around uncomfortably because of Kondo’s sappy “we are family” thing. He lays on the cheese real thick sometimes. But no one disagrees because the Eleven Seven has become a home away from home.

Kondo scratches the back of his head nervously and announces his promotion. There is a millisecond of silence before everyone is buzzing with excitement. Even Okita smiles a little because Kondo definitely deserves a promotion from all the hard work he does. Calls of congratulatory praise fill the air. But then silence quickly follows as they see Kondo is not done.

“In addition to this Eleven Seven moving, I’ll need to start reporting to headquarters.  So I will not be moving with you guys,” Kondo frowns a bit.

“So then,” Yamazaki’s soft voice breaks through the shocked silence, “what is going to happen now?”

Kondo crosses his arms, “Well I had a person in mind for the position of manager for the new store. I had talked to this person about it and he’s good to go. So everyone, welcome your new manager, Mr. Hijikata.”

No one was really surprised that Hijikata got the promotion. Everyone, chattering, surround the two newly promoted members. Okita stands back, quiet trying to process it all. There’s no way he can protest this because from the beginning it was obvious that Hijikata was the one. He fits the position really well. And well...Okita is ok with the decision. But he’ rather be trampled by a buffalo than to admit that this might be because he doesn’t really immensely dislike Hijikata anymore. It might actually be something close to being okay with him, fine with him or perhaps the l word-

“-Like going to the yakiniku place to celebrate!” someone shouts.

Kondo smiles, “Let’s postpone that for the weekend, because some of us have school tomorrow.”

He’s winking at Okita. Ugh, this means he has to go. Sigh.

  
  


The weekend comes and Okita finds himself sitting next to Hijikata at the Yakiniku restaurant. This has become a yearly ritual. But also now its kind of an official thing too because with Hijikata’s promotion, he chooses Okita to become the second manager. That asshole, Okita thinks as he smiles to himself.

“What are you smiling about,” Hijikata eyes him suspiciously while drinking his beer.

“I’m thinking about reading in voodoo rituals, especially ones that will be useful for offing head managers.”

“Why don’t YOU off YOURSELF,” Hijikata shoots back.

Okita grabs a piece of barbequed beef and prays, “Oh mighty voodoo god, please take this one delicious beef offering and make Hijikata die.”

He finishes by going to pick up the piece of beef except Hijikata covers it in Mayo. Okita stares at it for a bit and then looks at Hijikata. He smirks back. So Okita shoves the piece of beef into his mouth.

Hijikata makes a surprised gagging sound. Kondo notices and since he is once again quite inebriated he leans over and winks at them, “Didn’t know you two were involved.”

Both Hijikata and Okita, red faced, stared wide eyed at Kondo who’s turned his attention elsewhere.

“Oh hell no, I can barely stand you,” Okita quickly moves his chopsticks away from Hijikata’s mouth and turns away. His heart is racing at one thousand miles per second.

“Muh too but wiff you,” Hijikata mutters incoherently, chewing on the beef.

By the end of the party both parties are smashed, due to drinking an excess amount of alcohol in a pathetic attempt to rid the air of its sweltering awkwardness. Kondo leaves with Yamazaki and some other workers to go karaoking. Once again it is just the two of them at the restaurant. And once again its silent. Well it would be but Okita’s heart hasn’t slowed down since Kondo made that comment.

“L-lets go,” Hijikata says, lightly smacking Okita on the shoulder.

Okita scoffs, but grabs his arm helping him up. They walk out of the restaurant and Hijikata fishes out his cellphone.

“Aw crap it’s dead,” He takes a bit longer than usual to locate his pocket and shove the cellphone back.

“You idiot,” Okita says while rummaging in his pocket. It would seem that he hasn’t even brought his cell. “Shit I forgot mine.”

“You’re the idiot,” Hijikata mumbles.

They stand there in the dark for a bit. Okita sighs resignedly,“You….want to come over then? Mitsuba’s not home.”

“...Fine.”

  
  
  


The door to Okita’s apartment clicks open. He fumbles around for the light switch. It’s kind of hard to find since Hijikata is leaning on him and he’s pretty drunk. But he finds it and flick! The light is on. Unfortunately the foyer light is pretty dim because one of the lightbulbs died and Okita is far too lazy to replace it.

They stumble into the foyer. The door closes quietly behind them. Somehow in those few steps, Hijikata ends up with his nose buried in the crook of Okita’s neck. Okita can feel his heart pounding faster. Which is weird because Hijikata has been in his apartment a bazillion times to game. (Even though they go over to his place more often.)

“You smell like alcohol,” Hijikata’s voice is muffled, but Okita can feel his lips move on his neck. He shudders involuntarily. He’s pretty sure Hijikata notices.

“Shut up,” Okita says trying to steady Hijikata’s leaning form, “Take off your shoes.”

Hijikata doesn’t move from his place on his neck but he kicks off his shoes with a surprising amount of grace. Okita does the same and pulls Hijikata towards his room. They settle down on his floor, backs leaning against the bed. They haven’t said a word for a while, all that can be heard in the dark room, dimly illuminated by moonlight, are the sounds of them breathing.

“Hijikata...you want to take the floor or the bed?”

There’s no reply but the warm exhale rhythm Okita feels on his neck is too fast paced for to be Hijikata sleeping. Because he doesn’t respond, Okita uses his free hand to clutch Hijikata’s jacket and shake him, “Hey, answer me.”

Hijikata finally rests his head so that Okita can see his eyes. He blinks groggily but stares at him intently. And Okita stares back. He isn’t sure when it happened or who initiated but a couple minutes later in the cold darkness (because the heat isn’t turned on and he should turn it on because its freezing in here), he’s tasting Hijikata.

Hijikata’s got one hand on the back of his neck and the other on the side of his face. And Okita has shifted so that he’s clutching for dear life onto Hijikata’s jacket with both hands. This is shouldn’t feel so nice. It really shouldn’t. A couple of years ago he hated this guy, and even now he kind of wishes that Hijikata would just die. But even as he gave him a hard time, spending time with him wasn’t painful and oh wow, he thinks as he retaliates with similar motions of his tongue, he really doesn’t mind this change. Okita sighs into Hijikata’s mouth as he breaks for air.

They stare at each other in their close proximity, breaths coming in faster, hearts accelerated. They seem to do this a lot, the staring contests. Normally Okita wouldn’t mind them, because its fun to see who will back down first (usually Hijikata ha). However this time it feels painful. So much so that finally Okita gets impatient and he initiates for sure this time. They delve into their second kiss, with more frenzy. Okita moves his hands upward to wrap around Hijikata’s neck and run his hands through his hair. Hijikata brushes his hands downward, towards the direction of the hem of Okita’s shirt. Okita shivers when he feels Hijikata’s icy fingers on his skin, and in an effort to get warmer he pushes up closer to Hijikata. Okita breaks the kiss to let out a moan when Hijikata starts to lightly scratch the sides of his torso.

Hijikata is about to lean in and kiss his neck when he pulls back and says, “Wait, what are we doing?”

“What do you think you are doing?” Okita responds, panting, “Asking dumb questions when you’ve already started stripping me?”

Okita can just imagine Hijikata turning red in the dark room.

“Is...is this a good idea though,” Hijikata sits back, “it’s not like...I’m not even sure what is going to happen.”

Okita sits up and his hands dropping down to his sides. It suddenly feels really cold. He grits his teeth and looks at the ground, “Was that not good? Is this why you are stopping? If I had complaints, I would have said something at this point.”

Hijikata doesn’t say anything for a while, long enough for Okita to get that it probably wasn’t good and he was getting annoyed.

“Whatever. Just fall off a cliff, Hijikata,” he shifts to get up.

Hijikata grabs his hand, “You always make me say embarrassing stuff.”

Okita glares at Hijikata, his shadow making it hard to actually see Hijikata’s features.

“Like all the other times, you make me say the cheesiest stuff,” Hijikata’s voice is muffled because he shifted his head to hide it in his shoulder.

Okita waits. Hijikata pulls him down and Okita grudgingly obliges. He kneels down onto the hardwood floor with Hijikata’s legs out around him. Hijikata looks up from his shoulder at Okita.

“I’ve never asked you specifically to do anything except die, stupid,” Okita mumbles as he lets Hijikata set his hands on his waist pulling him closer.

“I just...really don’t want us to be doing anything we will regret,” he says as he raises his head to look up at Okita, who has shifted even closer.

“Well if the past proves anything...it means that we are both coherent drunks,” Okita rests his arms around Hijikata’s neck, “Plus, the biggest regret in my life is meeting you.”

Hijikata smirks and moves his face closer, “You little shit.”

“Just die, Hijikata,” is the last thing Okita whispers before he closes the space between their lips.

The night is cold, but with two bodies and a warm comforter (complete with a symphony of gasps and moans), it makes it more bearable.

  
  
  


The silence is just as awkward as the time after he told Hijikata he hated him when they arrive at work Monday morning. Okita wakes up with Hijikata, whose face is buried in his neck, sleeping with his arms wraps around his bare torso. He stays there because it is really warm and comfortable, even with the asshole wrapped around him. As he shifts back to take a good look at Hijikata’s sleeping face looking at it close up without the stupor of alcohol it makes his heart race. Rolling out of his hold wakes Hijikata up and as soon as the five seconds of incoherency due to sleep passes by, Hijikata’s eyes widens and he jumps up and clutches the wall behind him. They stare at each other with nothing to say (staring contests can be dubbed as their favorite pastime by now). Okita mutters something about going to the bathroom to shower and so he ducks out of the covers, picks up his boxers from the ground, pulls it on, and finds a fresh set of clothes. All in a matter of five minutes. The awkwardness in his room could make his skin melt off.

He’s really surprised that Hijikata stays when he comes back and verbal exchange is only limited to if Hijikata can use his shower and yes he can. When he’s done, Okita walks him to the door and he leaves. It’s as simple as that.

Now back to work. He is dreading coming in because of awkward confrontation. He arrives at work the same time as Hijikata is coming in. They stare at each other, as predicted, awkwardly and nod at each other. Yamazaki is heading the cashier desk and he waves hi to them, but they ignore him. Its the same as usual but even Yamazaki senses something has happened in between them as he watches them curiously when they walk pass. Good thing the locker room is empty. As soon as it closes, Hijikata tries to start.

“So...about last weekend…”

Okita hms in response, opening his locker.

“Um...what….what would we...um,” he stutters.

Okita doesn’t respond and takes off his jacket and scarf to stuff into the small box.

“Well I mean uh- DID I LEAVE THOSE ON YOU?!”

Okita looks back over his shoulder, his shoulder blades are peppered with obvious hickeys.

“Yea, I suppose,” he says, taking his shirt off his arms.

Hijikata coughs uncomfortably, “Um, yea so-”

“We are whatever you want us to be,” Okita says, pulling his work polo over his head.

He looks over at Hijikata. Almost expectantly. No, that’s a lie. He’s just kidding (no, he’s not.)

Hijikata doesn’t return his gaze, but if Okita squints he can see the thinking cogs moving in his dumb head.

“I mean…if you want…” He says after a moment of silence, “We could….we could try this out….or something…”

His heartbeat speeds up. Okita closes his locker and walks up to him, “What do you mean?”

Hijikata stands there dumbly by the doorway scratching the back of his neck nervously, face flushing a serious shade of deep red that an apple, if it was sentient, would be jealous of.

“You...and me...we could..d-d-d-d,” he stammers.

As much as he loves to see Hijikata suffer, the blood rushing in his ears drowns out all the sound (and therefore all of the enjoyment) and Okita leans in, so that his lips almost touch Hijikata’s.

Hijikata, understanding the significance of it all and flushing a bit more, bends down and kisses him.

And this was the start of something Okita would never expected to happen with his arch rival (best friend).

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really did not mean to write the monster that this is. @_@ (It keeps going on and on and somehow evolving and writing itself?? Hijioki's chemistry \o/ ) I swear though, the next chapter is the last. Enjoy~


	3. 3

What does it mean. All of this. Okita wonders, his body flush against Hijikata, pressing deep kisses to equally eager lips. What had meant to be their first date-- going over to Hijikata’s apartment in the weekend, what is a date even they both aren’t really sure so they just decided to play some rounds of generic first person shooter-- devolved into this. The game is paused and it has been for a while ever since Okita, frustrated that Hijikata kept killing him, leans his head back on Hijikata’s thigh which is stretched across the couch, to glare at him. Somewhere in between their usual verbal jabbering, Hijikata bends down and kisses him. One thing lead to another and now Okita has crawled up onto the couch and is on top of Hijikata, eating some face.

“We shouldn’t,” Hijikata pants between kisses and brief breaks for breaths, “Go so fast.”

“You should stop second guessing things after you decide to initiate,” Okita responds, nipping Hijikata’s bottom lip making him hiss in response.

“You’re a terrible influence. You keep egging me on,” Hijikata growls, his fingers dip underneath Okita’s waistband.

“I like to see it as pulling you down with me,” Okita gasps as Hijikata rises up and grinds against him, “Or in this case, up with me.”

“Smartass” is the last thing Hijikata says.

It’s safe to say they had no more interest in continuing their capture the flag campaign at this point.

  
  


Okita rests his head on Hijikata’s bare chest. He feels every inhale and exhale Hijikata makes. He also can hear his heartbeat. Thump thump. Thump thump. It would be calming, except Hijikata, his arm over his eyes, keeps muttering. Annoyed, Okita thumps him lightly on the chest.

“Shut up.”

Hijikata reaches up and gently grabs Okita’s wrist to stop him from further punches.

“I had told myself we should not do this on a first date, yet we did,” Hijikata says, eyes still covered by his arm. Okita tilts his head up to look at him.

“Why?” Okita drags his free arm slowly back and forth like a pendulum, lightly scratching the old rug underneath the couch with his fingernails.

Hijikata peeks out from underneath his arm, “What do you mean by why?”

Okita snorts, “I don’t really mind it. Can you bring your arm down? My back is cold.”

Hijikata doesn’t say anything, but complies. His hand rests near the back of Okita’s waist and he subconsciously tickles Okita’s sides while still deep in thought. Okita squirms on top of him to get him to stop.

Sighing, Okita pushes himself up, wrist still held captive by Hijikata’s hand. He looks Hijikata in the eyes, “Then lets go do a movie and dinner sometime. You’re paying of course.”

Hijikata’s eyes widen, as if that a movie date was something that never crossed his mind once in a million years. Idiot. Okita rolls his eyes and brings his free arm up to brush some hair out of Hijikata’s face. He closes his eyes in response, as if relishing the sensation on his skin.

“If I wasn’t okay with any of this, I would have said so, HijiBaka,” Okita monotones until his face scrunches up from Hijikata tickling his side for real now. They shift and roll around until they fall off the couch with a thump, onto the floor, kissing each other as if there was no more oxygen left in the world.

Hijikata wakes up the next morning on the rug, limbs tangled with Okita’s, who was sleeping next to him soundly. The throw blanket on the couch had been tugged down to cover both of them in a half-assed attempt for warmth. He suddenly remembers looking up to double check if the blinds to the balcony are closed. Thankfully they are, because yesterday afternoon’s activities is something he’d like to keep private.

  
  
  


Weeks progress thus. They go on their movie date. Hijikata pays for everything while grumbling. Okita goes on ordering everything on the menu and only stopping when Hijikata suddenly kisses him and waves a flustered waitress off to put in their order. Okita knows there’s no way he can finish everything, but he does it to annoy Hijikata. It works, but the “punishment” really isn’t that bad. The “annoyance” builds up to a brink as they arrive at the movie (something that has been out for ten weeks and that everyone and their grandma has seen), and sit in the back of the small empty theatre. He doesn’t even remember what the movie is about because not even twenty minutes in, Hijikata growls and grabs his wrist to stop him from flicking popcorn at him and pulls him over to eat his face. Okita smiles as they make out for the entire duration of the movie. It goes without saying what happens after the dinner and the movie is now a new addition to their usual private routine.

Soon it’s late spring, the temperature is warmer, and they have been dating for two months already. Earlier that night they unintentionally celebrated their two month anniversary, having take-out, gaming, and suddenly oh this kind of reminds me of that first time... Oh really? Yea wait has it been two months already? Still nothing really changed and they aren’t ones to go all outl just because it’s an anniversary. They aren’t romantics in that way.

Okita stares out the window from his comfy place on Hijikata’s bed, wrapped in Hijikata’s arms. Hijikata has settled into his usual rest spot in the crook of Okita’s neck. Okita sighs and leans back. There’s nothing more comforting than where he is now.

“Have you thought about college?” Hijikata’s lips move against his neck.

Okita wiggles closer to Hijikata so he can feel his chest against his bare back, “I have.”

“Oh?”

“I want...to stay local...I applied to a lot of local colleges and universities.”

He can feel Hijikata smirking against his neck.

“Are you following me to my uni?”

Okita lightly elbows him in the stomach. Hijikata oofs in response and nips his neck in revenge.

“You...wish..!” Okita hisses out.

He involuntarily arches his back against Hijikata. Hijikata seems know by now that his neck is a sensitive area and he fully takes advantage of that fact. That asshole. Annoyed at himself for losing self control, he turns around in Hijikata’s arms to glare at him. Hijikata glares back, annoyed from losing his favorite perch.

“I wasn’t a stellar student anyways. I’m too used to this area anyways. Why bother changing when there’s nothing wrong,” Okita mumbles, looking away.

Hijikata just watches him, waiting patiently even if his dumb face looked as angry as ever.

“Anyways,” Okita looks down, at the comforter covering both of them, “I’ve been accepted into a technical school and I’m going to go there.”

“Is it close by?”

“Yea its by the south downtown district.”

“Better invest in a bike,” Hijikata brings him closer into an embrace, “Be careful, drivers are careless.”

“Yea, yea,” Okita mutters.

He slowly raises his hands to wrap around Hijikata’s torso. They stay like that, in each others’ arms, until sleep finally envelopes them.

  
  


The college Okita finally decides to go to sends him a request for some additional material which he feels it would be cheaper for him if he delivered by hand since it is so close and he has nothing to do with high school winding down. The reason for this sudden careful spending is that Okita decides he wanted to build a gaming computer. He slowly startsto order the parts, cringing as his bank account depletes bit by bit. The parts are shipped and on their way and he is really excited about building a computer from scratch with his hands. But first these forms have to be delivered. He gets off the bus into the southern downtown district.

Okita would have gone during the day, but he has obligations to school (even though he can skip, he doesn’t) and to work (money for the computer). He steps out of the school grounds, hands free of the stupid forms, having met his new advisor and some students there: it’s been a pretty social day for him. It’s dark out by now, even though the days are getting longer. The bus stop is down the street but as he’s walking to the bus stop, he’s on the phone with Hijikata.

“You idiot, you should have just paid the extra postage to send it. Who cares if it’s nearby.”

He sounds so worried, Okita smirks even though his heart flutters a bit. He’d rather not admit that he’s happy that Hijikata cares for him.

“I’m fine. It’s safe and I can defend myself. You really do not have to come and get me, you idiot.”

He kicks a loose piece of pavement while walking slowly to the bus stop ahead. When he told Hijikata he was going to do this, that guy insisted on coming down to pick him up. The city area around the college campus is about as safe as any other are in a city, so even though Okita thought it was really unnecessary, the idea did make him very happy.

“YOU’RE the idiot, for doing this entire thing, you idiot!” Some screeching brake sounds are heard, “I’m two stops away, don’t move.”

Hijikata hangs up and Okita continues, shoving his phone in his pocket. He can hear footsteps behind down the street. Suddenly two guys come up and surround him. One of them is holding something that’s glinting in the street light. Okita is sure its a knife. He stares at it, unmoving.

“If you don’t want to get hurt, give me all your valuables,” says the hooded guy in front of him.

“I don’t have any,” Okita says, still looking at the knife.

The guy in the gray hoodie smirks, “No money? Then how are you gonna ride that bus?”

He motions the bus stop two feet away.

Okita grits his teeth, “Fine if its money you want then-”

He pulls out his wallet from his back pocket and pulls out all the cash he has. There’s only twenty bucks in there. He was planning on saving that for his graphic card fund but-- the hoodie guy grabs it from his hand.

“You only have twenty? Weak.”

“Well, do I look like I’m made of money?” Okita scowls. He tries to walk around the guy since he gave him his money already.

The guy behind him grabs his wrist.

“That’s a nice looking watch you have here.”

Okita’s eyes widen.

Gray hoodie picks up on his reaction and steps forward, brandishing the knife, “Hand it over.”

It seems to happen in slow motion. The guy behind him wearing a black hoodie roughly grabs his wrist and tries to wrench the watch off. Millimeter by millimeter he sees the tan line from under the watch gradually revealed.

 

He blinks.

 

And finds himself beating the pulp out of the guy who touched the watch.

 

Gray hoodie sweats a bit before swinging his knife to slash at Okita. But he dodges and knocks the knife out of his hand and kicks it away. Okita then wails on the two of them, stuck in a haze. Only when strong arms hook over his to pull him back from kicking at the two muggers, knocked out on the pavement, does he stop. Okita’s converses drip with blood.

“Okita, stop!”

He struggles. Who does this guy think he is stopping him when all he wants to do is beat the living shit out of these guys. He kicks behind him earning him a oof! in response. He’s pretty sure he kicked a shin. The strong arms lift him in the air. He violently tries to kick and break free but he finds himself losing steam, only stopping when his muscles, screaming, cannot not do it anymore. He lets his limbs dangle, but Okita is still fuming.

“Let me go.”

“Only when you are ready to stop acting like a psychokiller.”

“Shut the hell up, Hijikata.”

“Are you going to calm down?”

“...”

Hijikata sighs. But he lets Okita down when he’s sure that Okita won’t be fighting anymore. Okita feels the ground beneath his feet. He doesn’t look back at Hijikata, but down at the muggers. Hijikata follows his eyes, sighs once more, and slips his arms around Okita’s neck, bringing him in for a hug. Okita stands still and lets him, his eyes still glowering at his targets.

“Common, let’s go,” Hijikata says into his hair.

“Trash belongs in the trash, Hijikata,” Okita says still staring at the two guys. He has the thought throwing them into a dumpster. There’s one ten feet away. It would be so easy.

“No, let’s go.”

Okita reluctantly lets Hijikata drag him away. They don’t say anything as they walk to the next bus stop. They get off at the street where the old Eleven Seven location used to be. Hijikata asks if he wants to come over, but Okita wants to be alone. They part their separate ways.

The tension is familiar but also unfamiliar. That night no matter how much he tosses and turns, Okita cannot sleep soundly.

  
  
  


Hijikata calls him the next day asking if he wanted to talk. I don’t want to talk about it, he says as he hangs up. Hijikata tries to call again afterwards, so Okita turns off his cell. He wasn’t sure why he is feeling so moody and pissed off. He couldn’t identify why he is pushing Hijikata away. Perhaps it was the fact that almost losing that watch scared him a lot and when Mitsuba’s health was never one of her strong points, he wanted some solid reassurance that she was with him all the time. But that’s getting too deep into the uncomfortable feelings territory that Okita never wants to talk about.

Hijikata gets the point and doesn’t bother him, but on Friday, the week after, when he’s leaving from the end of his shift, Hijikata confronts him in the locker room.

“Why have you been avoiding me this week?” Hijikata stops Okita from going through the only door to the room.

“Move, Hijikata,” Okita monotones.

“I might if you answer my question,” Hijikata says, not moving.

Okita stares up at him. Hijikata stares back, unblinking. Okita tries to dodge around him, but Hijikata blocks him. Getting annoyed, he bites his lip, but still doesn’t say anything.

“Is this about last week?” Hijikata ventures, “I’m sorry but I never asked you what happened...I mean I would have except you wouldn’t answer your cell.”

“It’s because I don’t want to talk about it,” Okita spits out with more malice than he intended.

Hijikata stares at him.

“I mean there’s nothing to say, right? You walked in and saw everything. Those two guys tried to mug me and take my watch. You just caught me beating the shit out of them. End of story. Can I leave now?”

Hijikata doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t move either.

Seriously annoyed now, Okita raises his voice, “Move!”

And that is when Hijikata asks quietly, “So then why are you taking all this anger out on me?”

Okita momentarily freezes but recovers quickly because he knows why. “Because I wanted to kill them. Why did you...I know why you stopped me but...I still wanted to…”

“Even that watch isn’t worth killing for.”

Okita looks up at Hijikata, wide eyed. He knows he’s right, but he can’t admit it. Especially to Hijikata in person. He’s too proud. So he grabs Hijikata’s shirt to yank him down and growls, “Move or I’ll make you.”

Hijikata yields, and Okita storms out.

  
  
  
Graduation day is around the corner. And Okita still isn’t on talking basis with Hijikata. Their relationship is put on standstill as they walk by each other in the store everyday without acknowledging each other. Everyone knows something is up especially when they don’t hear the usual taunting going back and forth. Kondo, in his good nature, tries to speak with them separately, but they don’t spill much info.

One day it so happened that everyone left earlier, Hijikata and Okita were the only ones there to close the store. Locking up, they don’t say a word to each other. However upon pulling out the key from the lock, they turn towards each other incidentally and Okita finds himself staring at Hijikata. Hijikata’s eyes widen. Okita breaks eye contact after a few minutes and turns to walk away.

“I don’t understand what’s become of us,” Hijikata’s voice breaks the silence.

Okita stops, but doesn’t respond.

“We...we were doing so well and suddenly you stopped talking to me,” Hijikata continues, “and I don’t know how to reach out to you so that we can fix this.”

Okita looks at his feet. One is frozen in step in front of the other, dark shadows casting purple against the yellow glow of the streetlights.

“I guess I’m new at this relationships thing since you are my first, s-s-so,” Okita hears him clearing his throat, “I-I need y-your help with this.”

Okita closes his eyes. He can’t identify the feeling he feels in his chest, but it feels heavy and constricting and it makes it hard to breathe. He can hear footsteps coming closer and his body instantaneously freezes.

“Okita…” Hijikata’s voice sounds closer.

“It isn’t you, it’s me,” Okita half-whispers, “I just…”

He turns around to look at Hijikata. Maybe he’s seeing things but Hijikata almost looks sad. But maybe it might be because his eyebrows aren’t as angry as usual. He’s not sure.

Okita swallows, “You know Mitsuba….gave it to me….and I……….”

He blinks a few times, vision blurring, and looks away, stupid eyes why must they betray him now.

“.....I…...can’t bear to lose her…”

One stray tear gets away and falls to the pavement making a small dot lost in a sea of grainy gray. Okita is furious with himself because he can’t stand to let Hijikata see him cry. It feels like a death sentence. Okita feels rough fingers brushing away at his eyes and he unconsciously leans into Hijikata’s touch. Yearning. His body is used to Hijikata, it’s his mind that won’t let go. Hijikata leans down and then pauses as if he is contemplating about doing something. Okita’s eyes flicker upward to look at him, curious as to what he is going to do because his brain is too foggy with emotions to figure it out. Hijikata stares back down at him and Okita, for the first time, cannot keep eye contact. He looks down, focusing on a button on Hijikata’s shirt.

Hijikata decides to go with it and whatever he set out to do in the first place. He raises a hand to tilt Okita’s face upwards. Okita closes his eyes because he really cannot make himself return Hijikata’s gaze. Because Hijikata’s face makes his heart race faster and his ability to breathe seems to get worse per second. He feels a soft sensation on his eyelids and opens them slowly to find Hijikata taking his time to kiss down his face. Okita’s heart beats exponentially faster per the delay between when Hijikata’s lips leave his skin and when they touch again. Before kissing his lips, Hijikata pauses, as if second guessing himself once again, and unable to breathe and fearing that he might get a heart attack if he waits any longer, Okita leans forward and finishes his job.

The resulting kiss was much less gentle if more passionate, as if all the weeks of not talking or interacting built up a dam for their needs. (It started with the intention of being gentle, but things have gotten unpredictable.) The walk back towards Hijikata’s place should be called the stumble back towards Hijikata’s place. By the time they enter the entryway, clothes are peeled off at record speeds. They almost break a shelf on the way to Hijikata’s bedroom before finally tumbling onto the bed, intending not to sleep that night, but instead try to find a way to make amends for all the time lost in the past few weeks.

  
  
  


Okita’s graduation day arrives and the Eleven Seven workers including Kondo do the same thing with Okita as they did with Hijikata. Come the time when Okita reunites with the workers and Mitsuba at the entrance, everyone cheers loudly for him. Hijikata however does not aid in embarrassing Okita because Okita is harder to elicit a reaction from (in the bedroom, however, is another story). He stands to the back smirking quietly and Okita notices that over the riff-raff. They make eye contact as they head out to celebrate, one thousand words shared in the span of five seconds.They move on to party at their favorite Yakiniku joint. Mitsuba comes along. They all have a great time and Okita ends up walking his sister home.

Summer flies by quickly, besides sleeping over at Hijikata’s place more often, nothing really changes. Okita’s computer parts arrive in full and he assembles his “baby” with loving care. (He finally understands why there are car junkies out there who call their cars baby.) When he’s done, he calls Hijikata and challenges him to a round. Hijikata obliges and in the end, he wins again. (It must be the graphics card...its not good enough, Okita decides.)

 

And out of the blue in August, Okita looks at Hijikata. Hijikata looks back at him and they decide to call it quits.

Hijikata had tried to initiate a conversation with Okita, something about schedules, when he suddenly brought up that maybe they should take a break in their relationship. Something about going too fast and he was always worried about that, about what Okita might think (though he didn’t say this per say because Okita’s sure Hijikata would rather not admit to such things nonchalantly), he wanted to take a break to gather himself and focus on training new employees due to the store expanding due to the growing popularity. Okita agreed to this just because he didn’t want to make a fuss, but secretly deep down he was hoping Hijikata would second guess himself as he usually did and turn around to tell him he was kidding. But he never did.

There was no true reason as to what caused the end of their relationship. It just happened. And even though it was on “hold”, it felt like the end to Okita. So because of his post break up bitterness, his taunting towards Hijikata increased tenfold and the Eleven Seven grew a bit more raucous (and merry to one extent).

Even so, he held no bitter resentment against Hijikata personally and eventually resumed teasing purely due to the fact that it was fun to mess with Hijikata. Just like old times.

It seems that the years of being here at the Eleven Seven, nothing has changed. Except maybe now if someone asked Okita if he still hated Hijikata, he’d smile lightly and say, “There’s nothing I wish for more in this world than for Mr. Hijikata to die.”

 

But that answer is not an explicit no. And Okita knows. Maybe, just maybe, he likes Hijikata. Not just a little, but a lot.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahaha omg. It's done. I didn't intend for this to be the complicated monster it ended up being, but somehow it ended up this way? Hijioki also needs more love! 
> 
> Please enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhh... I didn't mean for this to be so long?? I'm still working on this. This is part one and there's a lot of UST. Probably ooc. lol, whatever. Enjoy~
> 
> This is the prequel to the Inbetweens, my ginoki fic.
> 
> Edit: I reread through this thing and cleaned it up. I'm so embarrassed but it is what it is.


End file.
